Police in Tiruvallur district have secured a suspect in connection with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the Arambakkam police limits two weeks ago. The suspect was apprehended from Sulurpet in Andhra Pradesh.Inspector General of Police (IGP)- North Zone, Asra Garg, confirmed the detention to the media. However, she declined to provide further details, stating, “Our teams have secured him only a few hours ago. Probe is still underway. We cannot reveal details of the investigation at this moment.”
This development follows an earlier instance where police questioned a man from Uttar Pradesh receiving medical treatment in Chennai, but he was later released. Public alerts, based on his resemblance to police-released photographs, had led to his brief detention.
Earlier this week, Tamil Nadu Police announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to the identification of the suspect in this heinous crime.
The incident, which occurred on July 12, gained widespread attention after CCTV footage went viral. The footage showed an unidentified man grabbing the young girl from behind and dragging her into nearby bushes. The girl, a Class 4 student, resided with her grandparents near Gummidipoondi, while her parents worked in Andhra Pradesh. The distressing video showed the assailant following, gagging, and then dragging the struggling girl into the bushes before sexually abusing her. Police had been working tirelessly to identify and apprehend the suspect since the incident.